Dr. Sedat Laciner writes in Turkish Weekly, “The Armenian Issue: Inventing a Past”
Armenians claim that The Ottomans consciously and systematically killed the Armenian citizens in 1915 and afterwards. This claim had been denominated as ‘massacre’ until the end of the World War II, it has been denominated as “genocide” since 1965. In this respect, the Jewish example has a significant role in skillfully transforming to be ‘genocide victim’ into political and monetary earnings. As it is known that, as the Jewish people have accepted that, the Jews who were died in the World War II left a loaded indemnity and a state to their sons and grandchildren. The more important than that, grievance also has prepared ground for an important esteem in the world. So, this is the most important benefit which charmed the Armenians.
The Armenian side claims that approximately 1.5 million Armenians vanished in the Ottoman territory in 1915 and afterwards. This number is controversial and excessive but additionally, the numbers which are approved by the Turkish side also can reach hundred thousands. Except one difference,while the Armenian side claims that the state killed these people consciously, the Turkish side claims that most of these people died due to hunger, famine, epidemic diseases, the negative conditions of war, bad weather and some of them were killed in the local-ethnic disputes. The Armenian historians and who adhered to even some of the Turkish people claims that thousands of people could not die because of famine or epidemic disease in such a short period of time. According to them, the negative circumstances of the war, surely, led to death of some Armenians, but this number could considerably be limited.
Holocaust deniers claim the same kinds of things. They often compare the Jewish death camps of WWII to POW camps during the Civil War, and conclude that it was disease that killed the Jews, not systematic extermination.
The ones who claim in this way, unfortunately, know nothing about the conditions of the period. They do not know that in this period the epidemic diseases and famine could still totally destroy all population of cities or districts. They do not remember that even the thousands of Ottoman soldiers died in Sarikamis because of cold without shooting a single bullet. Above all, they also do not know about how thousands of Armenians died even in Armenia because of epidemic diseases and famine after 1915 under the Armenian rule.
Georgia and Azerbaijan declared their independence after the revolution in Russia. Hereon, after a short time, the Armenians established their state. Anyhow Tasnaks’ (nationalist Armenian armed group) also had a state. However, while establishing this state The Tasnaks were unwilling because they wanted a state (if it is not an empire) which could reach Mediterranean to Black Sea and Caspian (Hazar) Sea, ‘three sea sided’. As a matter of fact, their wishes partially reflected to Sevr Treaty. A French newspaper defined those wishes as ‘Armenian Empire’.1 (Sunny, p.129) Tasnaks and other Armenian groups found the pre-established state little, at this stage instead of establishing a micro state they planned to continue their struggle and obtain a bigger one. Young generation was filled with hatred against Turks, the leaders, primarily Europe and USA, were trying to draw the non-regional extraterritorial forces to Caucasia for their own purposes…
Dr. Laciner concludes:
When the Turkish and Armenian experience is compared, it should be clearly understood that the Armenian citizens do not have an ‘Armenian Ataturk’. The Armenians have followed unrealistic and unconscious leaders. However, in each time they always reach a disaster and great disasters instead of a greater Armenia. The saddest thing is that Armenian nationalists have always blamed the others for the tragic events they have experienced: Now, Armenians politicians accuse Israel, United States, European Union, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and even Russia for the current situation in Armenia.
Now it is time for Armenians to look at the mirror. It is right, reality hurts. However, it is better and beneficial to face realities than to live in a world of dreams and accuse those who could help us a lot.